I have been riding since I was a kid. I did some triathlons in the late 1980’s but had a long break of not riding during my college years and when I started a family. I got back into triathlons in the early 2000’s and progressed to Full Ironman races by 2008. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after having my first MS attack during the 2009 Florida Ironman. By 2014 MS had taken away my ability to run, but I could still ride, so that really sparked my love of cycling even more, and I really ramped up my volume and started challenges to help me handle MS and raise awareness to help others.
I have finished two full Ironman races and several half Ironmans. I have also done many long distance cycling events and hill climbs. For example I did a 12 hour endurance race called The Triple Bypass in Colorado. I did The Mt. Evans Hill Climb in Colorado, and the Mt. Washington Hill Climb in New Hampshire twice. I have done three rides for MS here in North Carolina, ranging from 240 to 270 miles; all one day rides. My current streak of 100+ miles for MS awareness is a goal of at least fifty-two weeks in a row. I will continue to come up with more challenges, and as races open up, I will compete in both road and gravel endurance races.
I face issues with fatigue, balance, numbness, tingling, and heat intolerance, to name a few. My feet and legs went numb in the 2009 Florida Ironman, and my feet have never felt the same. They constantly feel like they have fallen asleep and are trying to come back awake. Riding my bike is the only time I feel like I don’t have MS. Cycling helps me stay ahead of my MS. The combination of my medications, diet, and fitness helps keep my symptoms feeling better. But, if I miss too many days, my symptoms will start to feel worse. When I get back to it, they slowly start to improve.
I am a sales person for a major printing company, selling labels and printed literature to the Pharmaceutical industry. I have been working there since 1992.
In our first blog of the New Year we caught up with the incredibly talented shredder, huckster, bike pilot... well, we’re not quite sure what to call him because he can do just about everything and spends as much time in the air as a commercial pilot. Brady comes from a BMX background but has translated his skillset to the dirt, and the results are spectacular. If you haven’t had a chance to check out one of his videos here or follow him on Instagram. It’s worth it, we promise. Brady was an early adopter of SCC Slick and has been part of our family for the last few years. As we’ll touch on below, he recently suffered from a crash related injury that has resulted in the need for double ACL reconstruction surgery. We’re currently donating $10 from every RideIt Hat to help offset his medical expenses. He also has a GoFundMe page set up if you can find it in you to help this incredibly talented guy get back in the saddle and make the bike world a much better place.
I started racing BMX in the second grade and hooked on it for life! But, I first got into mountain biking with my step dad when I was 11. He got into mountain biking to help scout for deer, but it was funny; he would get upset because I'd always be out trying to find jumps scaring all the animals away.
I grew up in Blackfoot Idaho. Trails didn't really exist in Idaho at the time, but now when I go back home I ride Cave Trail and City Creek in Pocatello.
Robinson Racer Rebel! It was blue and white with blue flames, I loved it!
Getting the REVEL contract has so far been my biggest accomplishment (with SCC a close second). Off the bike getting my CDL license, which has allowed me the ability to make a decent living and gives me the free time to ride my bike!
My buddy Evan Service introduced me to it a couple years ago at the trailhead one day when my chain was squawking and I've been hooked ever since.
It was a typical, casual day riding the jumps at I street. I was 360-ing the main step up and over rotated by 90 degrees and my knee just buckled. I knew instantly when it happened, so I figured the damage was done and I got a knee brace and toughed it out.
At first it sucked. It was super painful, but I went in mentally prepared and just taking it day by day. So far everything is looking and feeling solid. I feel fortunate and grateful for the help and support coming from the bike community.
I'm keeping it simple this year. I'm going to be focused on getting back on the bike and back to 100%. I want to ride as much as possible and create some great content along the way.
Just because races are on hiatus doesn’t mean we’ve all lost the desire to ride ourselves into complete exhaustion, sometimes we just need the right excuse. This week we sat down with veteran endurance mountain bike racer Aaron Campbell as he shares stories from his recent high altitude Everest challenge, past races, and SCC Tech tips and application techniques.
SCC: Thanks so much for joining us Aaron, we’ve crossed paths many times over the years at various mountain bike races across the country, it seems the more difficult the race the more likely you are to show up. What are some of your favorite races? Although at this point these all feel a little nostalgic we need some motivation for next year.
Aaron: I grew up on singletrack and living here in Utah there’s amazing trails. Park City just has such amazing riding that Point to Point is really high on my list. Leadville 100 has been a staple, this year would have been year number nine for me. One of my biggest accomplishments was going sub seven hours the other year. I love the Epic Rides race Series and the Whisky Off Road in particular. I throw in a little bit of gravel here and there like Crusher in the Tushars but I prefer mountain bikes when possible. Tahoe Trail 100 is a milestone check during the season since it’s in July and a few weeks from Leadville. It was the first race I did after breaking my leg five years ago.
SCC: What? Tell us about that!
Aaron: Well, True Grit is an early season standby race and that’s when I broke my leg back in 2015. I dropped down in the loose gravel at mile three and washed my front tire and got really unlucky. They’d gotten a lot of rain, the road was eroded and it was loose and sketchy. In the end I ended up with a rod in my leg.
SCC: Ouch! I remember being out at the 100 that year, I had no idea. How have you been training during the pandemic?
Aaron: Like everybody else, my racing days and events are on hold. It’s hard. I trained all spring, put in all that time on the trainer and then that reality hit in March when I put in the big block of training and now have to take a recess. Thankfully there’s lots of open space and I can get outside. Of course there’s Zwift and other virtual methods and more power to the people who can use them, but that would drive me nuts. Normally I’d be traveling for work, but now that I’m home I can right behind my house. I have a dirt road and gravel climb that goes 4,500’ to 9,500’ and as the snow melts you can go higher and higher.
SCC: You mention being home more, has your job been affected?
Aaron: I’m a mechanical engineer by schooling and in my job I work as a field application engineer of material testing.
SCC: You’re going to have to explain that a little more, that sounds pretty fancy.
Aaron: Basically materials testing involves breaking stuff in tension, compression or fatigue. Any product that’s made or produced has to be tested from carbon in a bicycle to a titanium. There’s a ton of R&D testing that goes into every product we buy.
SCC: So if our frame cracks you’re the guy to blame?
Aaron: Ha, I hope not. There’s a ton of R&D testing that goes into every product.
SCC: Recently you got some attention in the Utah mountain bike scene after your, we’ll call it insane, Eversting challenge. Most people we know opted for some nice clean road repeats at sea level but not you. Tell us about that.
Aaron: Well, my birthday is on D-Day and this year I was turning forty-four. D-Day was in 1944 so there were coincidental reasons. I thought it could be a way to honor the suffering that a lot of folks went through to accomplish an insurmountable task. I’d been kicking the idea around through the spring but about a month out, right about the time Keegan Swenson set the record, so when I heard he was going for it that was the additional motivation I needed. Shortly after that Rebeccca had her Giddy Up challenge and I almost shifted the date but the snowline was too low and we ended up getting a big storm that weekend so it wouldn’t have been possible.
SCC: You know it’s going to be a tough challenge when your route gets snowed out in May.
Aaron: Right? I was all set for my birthday on June 6th but I had to move it up a day after looking at the weather- there was a chance of thunderstorms and the thought of being in high country in a storm just seemed like a recipe for disaster.
SCC: So you're all set for the big day, you’ve got the route planned, aid station set up at the base. Tell us about the climb.
Aaron: My plan was six big laps to the summit with 5k climbing per lap. To do that you have to start on the lower slope, which is about 800 feet of pavement, so it’s like 85% dirt for the whole thing.
SCC: How did it play out? Did you manage to keep from getting snowed out?
Aaron: It turned out to be a brutally hot day with temperatures around 100 degrees but my Garmin recorded 126 degrees in the afternoon. In avoiding the storms I knew I would be riding on the hottest day of the week so I traded risks. I took the afternoon super cautions and drank lots of fluids.
SCC: And just how long were you out there suffering?
Aaron: It was 154 miles and just shy of 19 hours.
SCC: What! That’s insane.
Aaron: I could have stopped a little earlier but wanted to make sure I got over the line. You can’t simply trust that the elevation on the electronics will match the topo map when you upload the data. I always said I wouldn’t ever do it. Everesting is nutty but this was the year to give it a go with no reason to save the legs for races.
SCC: So what time of day did you start?
Aaron: I started at 12:23 am. I did not want to finish at night. I figured it was safer to finish during the day, and if I started in the middle of the night the chance of finishing, having dinner, and getting to bed would be more feasible.
SCC: And how did that plan work out? Any advice?
Aaron: Always take two lights. One of my lights died an hour in but thankfully my second light kept working. It was a full moon night so I could have theoretically gotten off the mountain safely.
SCC: Theoretically we’d still be out there right now trying to finish. Let’s talk gear- did you choose a hardtail or full suspension?
Aaron: Normally I’d take the hardtail but it’s a really rough dirt road. For one or two laps the hardtail would have been fine but for that long in the saddle I wanted the cushion. The first lap I felt things were super plush on the way down but by the last lap it felt like I was riding a rigid.
SCC: Did your brake pads hold up with 30k of dirt descents?
Aaron: I put fresh pads and rotors on for the ride. I ride that route enough that I know the lines, I may have topped out at 53mph. I’ve had really good luck with the XTR brakes and pads. I tried to not touch the brakes as much as I could. Even then I probably blew through at least half the pads.
SCC: And because we make chain lube, we have to ask about your drivetrain. How did SCC Slick perform for your 19 hour Everest endeavor? How do you normally use SCC Tech and what did you do differently for such a long ride?
Aaron: Typically I apply SCC Slick every time I wash the bike, I clean it and it gets lube at that point. If it’s not too muddy then I lube the chain about once a month. Night before Everesting I did a full clean, took the chain off the bike and soaked it in rubbing alcohol then wiped it down and lubed it. The road itself gets really dusty but the chain stayed noise free. The other parts on the bike were making noise like the suspension but when I was sitting in the saddle the drivetrain wasn’t making any noise.
SCC: We love to hear that!
Aaron: Yeah, I had a bottle in the truck just in case I needed to reapply mid ride but I never even thought about it.
SCC: Any parting words?
Aaron: For all of us that race or do these long rides for ‘fun,’ that time on the bike is huge for me. It’s time to reflect on the world. When I was growing up an hour seemed like a long ride but now doing sixteen or more hours, you’ve got to train for it, but you can do so much more than you think you can. Being better than yesterday is my goal, on the bike and in life.
SCC: Thanks so much for joining us Dusty, we know you’re busy running a business and building wheels and we understand the shop has been booming. You’ve been a fan of SCC Slick for a long time but could you tell us a bit about your background in the cycling industry and what led you to start Hubsessed?
Dusty: I started working at a bike shop in St. George, Utah back in 2006-2007. I was initially hired to build bikes, but quickly worked my way up to shop mechanic and eventually to shop wheel builder. I was trained by three lifelong bike mechanics, so I learned an incredible amount in a very short time. Years later, I found myself working at the gold mines of Elko, Nevada and quickly realized that there was not a legitimate bikeshop for hundreds of miles in any direction. It was then that I thought about starting a wheel building company. Due to the remoteness of Elko, I think companies were more willing to partner up and give me a chance since there were no other bike shops or wheel builders between Salt Lake City and Reno.
SCC Tech: Well, gold might be our favorite hub color. Seems like you seemed to hit the motherlode with such a remote location. Less than convenient location aside, why do people specifically come to you for wheels?
Dusty: I like to think that people specifically come to me because of my approach and willingness to teach. It's simple to sell someone a set of wheels and send them on their way but it's harder to take the time and explain to them why we are choosing specific components, and how that will improve their performance on the trail. I want to make sure that customers are as educated about their wheels as possible. The more they know about their wheels, the more stoked they will be when they show up!
SCC Tech: So true, education is always the best customer service a company can offer. Aside from education customers, what’s your favorite part about building wheels
Dusty: I think it all comes down to being able to take the individual components of a wheel and build them into something that will actually take people places. Each time I build a wheel, I daydream about where that wheel will take the customer. It's the backstory to the Hubsessed slogan: "Wheels Built with Adventures in Mind".
Aside from a frame, it could be argued that the wheelset is the most important component of a bike. A custom set of wheels can last a lifetime and take a rider so many places. We know you’re super humble but what would you consider your biggest professional accomplishment?
Dusty: An early break we had was when we were asked to build a set of wheels for Dirt Rag magazine. It was great seeing our wheels in an actual MTB publication!
SCC Tech: That’s amazing! Boy we sure miss Dirt Rag, what a great and influential magazine. We grew up living vicariously through those amazing images and rides. What’s your favorite spot to ride?
Dusty: That's a tough one. I grew up in St. George, so those trails have a soft spot in my heart. The big mountains of northern Utah (Ben Lomond and Lewis Peak) are a local favorite, and who doesn't love Moab?
SCC Tech: Ride Utah! Being Salt Lake City based were a little biased as well. What brings you the most joy outside of cycling?
Dusty: That's an easy one! Being with my family. We do a fair amount of cycling together which makes it really fun.
SCC Tech: There’s nothing better than riding with family. It’s so much easier to get kids into riding when you start them young. When did you first hear about SCC Tech?
Dusty: We first heard about, and started using SCC Tech in the Summer/Fall of 2018.
SCC Slick: That makes you a very early adopter. How do you use it? Walk us through the process a bit.
Dusty: We primarily use SCC to lube chains. All of my personal bikes, as well as any customers' bikes that come in for a tune-up will leave with SCC on the chain. Aside from lubing chains, we have found some pretty awesome other uses. Whenever we do a hub overhaul, we substitute typical freehub oil with SCC Slick. From what we have found, it helps to keep the hubs running smoother and cleaner than a typical oil. In addition we have found that it brings new life to old shifters! Over time, shifters tend to get gummy and not work as well as when they were new. We squeeze a few drops of SCC into the shifter body and it helps break up the grime and goop. Say hello to smooth shifting again. To go along with that, we use the needle applicator to inject a few drops of SCC into the shifter housing before we put a new cable in. SCC Slick does a really good job at lubing up the housing and helping the cable slide nice and smooth once it's installed. This can be done with older shift housing or right out of the box with a new bike. Who doesn't like smoother shifting?
SCC Tech: Single Speeders? We love that you’re using it on cables, our formula never gets gummy and the new precision applicators make the process so much easier to apply. What do you like most about SCC Slick?
Dusty: The part I like the most is how long SCC lasts! I typically get between 125 and 200 miles out of a single application. Mind you, this is on the dry and moon dusty trails that Utah is known for. I just had to reapply SCC on my ebike for the first time, and that was after 130 miles and 15,000 feet of climbing! It's amazing stuff.
SCC Tech: Yeah we’ve heard stories about 400+ miles but those moon dust trails do a number on drivetrains, we’ve tried so many other lubes in those conditions and couldn't get more than a few miles before the drivetrain started crunching. What do you tell someone using SCC Slick for the first timeDusty: Make sure and follow the directions on the bottle exactly! These long application times are achieved by following the recommended application process.
SCC Tech: Yes! That’s always the first thing we ask if someone has a negative experience. We ask if they followed the directions and they always sheepishly admit that they hadn’t. Like you we take great pride in trying to fully educate our customers. Speaking of customers, how has COVID 19 affected your business?
Dusty: Luckily, folks have had a case of “upgrade-itis” lately. We have been keeping busy and helping folks get their bikes dialed.
SCC Tech: That’s great to hear! We’ve been reading one article after another about how slammed bike shops have been. If there’s one silver lining to this whole mess it’s that there are a whole new generation of cyclists being born. Last question, finish this sentence: If you’ve been skeptical about trying SCC Slick...
Dusty: If you have been skeptical about trying SCC Slick, I highly recommend you try it. It continues to impress me with how long I can ride on a single application. I know it will impress you too! And lastly, if you need a new set of custom wheels, hit me up!
SCC Slick: Great advice Dusty. Thanks so much for joining us today, we really appreciate your time. And for those of you that don’t know what to do with your stimulus checks, that cash could get you a pretty sweet new set of wheels!
SCC Tech: Thanks for joining us this week Garnett, we know you were an early adopter and passionate SCC Slick user. First, we hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy. It’s a crazy time. Any words of wisdom or positivity you’d like to share before we talk drivetrains?
Garnet: As a community of people, let’s band together, encourage one another, support diversity and understanding across the borders of ethnicity, gender, and culture. Looking down is training and pushing one's self for betterment but also remember to look up, which is therapy and enjoy the hard work and the beauty that's all around us. Let's live a life that positively impacts communities and seeks to reshape lives.
SCC Tech: So true, times like these really put things into focus. We are all humans. We are all looking to survive and thrive but some us use the bicycle as a means to accomplish this. COVID-19 has impacted everyone recently, how has it changed your training?
Garnett: The way I've taken lite of this COVID-19 pandemic has been one of mind over matter. I take it seriously, ride solo, and remain socially distant. I understand that we will make it through this, if we abide by the instructions we're given. I'm totally stoked to finally have a Smart Trainer (Elite Direto X) and can participate and fully enjoy Zwift and all that it has to offer. Some racers/riders are taking this time off, but I'm taking this time to apply force, because I want to keep growing and getting fitter because I'm a late bloomer to the sport, so when outdoors racing picks back up, I can be better than I was pre-COVID. Being home all day is not the greatest, but I deal with it relaxing, Zwifting, Neflixing and chilling.
SCC Tech: You mentioned you were a late ‘late bloomer’ to the sport. When did you get into cycling?
Garnett: I've been riding since 2009/10, starting in Maryland. I'm military, so I transferred around a little bit. I rode there from 2009/10 to the end of 2011 then went to Mississippi and rode for a few months but the roads and culture weren't pleasant for cycling. In 2017 I moved to California and the rest is present history. I started racing in March of 2018 at Tour de Murrieta, a two day Omnium Race. Day one is a 22k Criterium, and Day two is a 64k Road Race.
SCC Tech: That’s a Southern California classic, we’ve got some fond memories of racing there. Congrats on getting hooked by the sport, hopefully you were warned that cycling can be addictive. In the last decade you’ve probably tried quite a few drivetrain products. What was your ‘ah-ha’ moment with SCC Slick?
Garnett: It honestly was probably after I rode 600 miles and realized I need to lube my chain again. The buttery smoothness was phenomenal. My typical training schedule is +240k per week. My typical race schedule was maybe bi-weekly competitions during the season and I'd always take joy in applying SCC SLICK on the chain at the beginning of race day.
SCC Tech: That’s amazing, we tell riders that they can get over 400 miles per application but most people don’t believe it. Six hundred miles is a lot of road to cover. No one wants to stop and lube their chain during an epic adventure. Speaking of adventures, where’s your favorite place to ride?
Garnett: My favorite place to ride is “new territories,” which is just symbolic of anywhere new and different from my normal weekly riding locations, but my favorite ride was the Victorville Bicycle Tour with my son. It was our first Fondo together. We don't always have the money to indulge in a new bike or new kit, but I find the adventure and freshness of new roads and new people does the trick. Don't get me wrong, I love new bike day, new kit day, etc. but, riding in a new territory is beautiful.
SCC Tech: How would you describe SCC Slick to someone who’s never tried it before?
Garnett: The best way I'd explain SCC SLICK to a friend is a lube that is simply silent, cool, and clean. Let them try it and allow the product to do the talking. Cycling is it for me, with no additional hobbies to indulge in. I do like sketching/doodling and watching food shows along with design shows, such as Forge by the Fire, or HGTV, and some old 90's television shows. I've always desired to be an architect, but being an active duty member of the Navy makes that reality difficult. I've taken a pleasure in graphic design, but more or less in product or industrial design, due to my structured mindset.
Thanks so much for joining us today Garnett, it was an honor to speak with you and we appreciate your service to the country, dedication to cycling, and positivity on and off the bike. You’re truly an inspiration and we look forward to see you out there at the races once things return to normal. For those that want to follow along with Garnett “Crit Whit” Whitmire you can find him on the following social media platforms:
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/GWHITMIRE3
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/crit.whit
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/critwhit/
Strava:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/25655299
Today we caught up with Alex Laursen, a former mountain bike racer turned wrench who’s spent years building his own mechanic business, Complete Cycling, to support professional cycling teams and events throughout North America and the world.
Hey Alex, thanks for taking the time to talk with us today. We know you’re busy getting ready to kick off your season and gearing up to travel around the country and support a number of professional teams and races. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into the cycling industry?
I started racing Mountain bikes when I was sixteen. I didn’t have money to pay someone to work on my bike so I did all of my own maintenance. I learned from different books as well as trial and error. I didn’t actually start working in the bike industry until I was twenty-five years old. I started working as a mechanic at LeRoy’s Bikeworks in Lakeland, FL. One day while watching the Tour de France I saw someone jump out and change a wheel. I thought to myself, “there is no way that person is doing that for free.” I knew I wanted to do that someday. For the last six years I have owned my own business supporting professional cycling teams and cycling events. I have worked all the major races in North America and a few events overseas.
You must have tried so many drivetrain products over the years, when did you first use SCC Slick and what were your initial thoughts?
Two years ago Dave Harward turned me onto the product. Like most people I was like, 'oh great, another lube.' But, once I used SCC Slick my mind was blown. It’s truly a game changing product. Not only because it lasts for the entire stage of a race, but also because you can simply wipe it off post ride and instantly have a clean chain again. It’s such a time saver. Even the riders have noticed a difference and some of them are now asking specifically for the “special lube."
Did it take a few applications to appreciate it? Because SCC Slick pulls all the dirt and grime out of the chain we tell people to give it three rides to fully appreciate its effects. Can you describe the learning curve and process?
My appreciation of SCC Slick became apparent pretty quickly. I actually first used it on a rental fleet at Pedego Park City, an E-bike shop, and it made the clean up on the drive train incredibly quick and painless. When I use SCC Slick I apply a steady light stream to the inside of the chain as I pedal the bike backwards. I then let it sit for a few minutes before taking a cloth to wipe off the excess. After I finish the whole tuneup, l wipe off the excess one more time. By the time I finish the chain looks really nice and clean.
It’s hard not to be sceptical, how do you describe SCC Slick when you tell someone about it for the first time without sounding like you’re in a bizarre cult?
SCC Slick is a game changer. It’s the first lube I have used that feels like it actually does something different, and I mean that in the best way possible.
We know a lot of riders are committed to their old “favorite” lube. We’ve all been there. What’s one thing you’d tell someone who’s hesitant to make the switch?
You will see the difference when you use SCC Tech for the first time. Not only will you feel the difference on your first ride, you’ll appreciate it even more the first time you clean your drivetrain.
Ok we’re sold. Enough Tech talk, what’s your favorite ride?
I miss my East Coast riding and the trail I grew up on in Florida called Carter Road Park. The Utah riding is decent but it’s not nearly as technical as the Florida trails I grew up on.
Some of us here can relate. If you grow up on the East Coast it’s easy to miss the trees and slipperty roots and rocks. What’s your bike of choice these days?
I currently Ride a Niner Air Nine RDO. Full rigid, full carbon.
Nice! That’s a super fast and light bike. We’ve built up a few of those in our day. We really appreciate you taking the time to join us Alex. Good luck this season and thanks for spreading the word about that 'special lube' to all the pros. As a professional bike mechanic at the highest level your feedback and opinions truly matter, and keep driving us to our goal of creating the ultimate all conditions drivetrain treatment. Happy trails!
Thanks for joining us today Michael, we like to bill SCC Tech as an all conditions drivetrain treatment so we’re interested to hear your tale. Tell us a little about yourself first.
I'm 34 years old, live in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and originally hail from Waterford, WI. I am a husband to my beautiful wife Jacqueline, have a 4-year old daughter Josephine, and my wife is due with our second child in March!. I'm a senior mechanical engineer at John Deere Power Systems in Waterloo, IA.
And as far as riding goes, what do you race? Where do you like to ride? It must take a bit of training to race 70 miles in the snow.
I typically do about 650 hours per year on the bike, and primarily race marathon MTB events that are approximately 4 hours or 50 miles long, though I mix in some Cat 1 XC races, gravel races and some fat bike racing during the long, cold winters here in the Midwest for some fun and good training. My favorite "local" places to ride are the technical singletrack trails up in Decorah, IA and the fast and flowy Sugar Bottom Recreation area trails in North Liberty, IA. My family does travel a lot for MTB destination races and riding and we are regulars at races like Dakota Five-O in Spearfish SD, USAC Marathon MTB Nationals, Steamboat Stinger in Steamboat Springs, CO, and we love Moab, UT so much that was where my wife and I decided to get married. Our amazingly supportive local bike shop is Sugar Bottom Bikes in North Liberty, IA.
Tell us a little bit about the race you just won.
The race I recently competed in is called the Triple D Endurance Race, which is a 70mi fat bike race that starts and ends in Dubuque, IA, and goes on NO MATTER THE WEATHER. The name comes from the primary towns the race reaches, which are Dubuque, Dyersville, and Durango, IA. The race serves as a fundraiser for the local MTB organization called TMBR or, Tri-state Mountain Bike Riders, and organization that is building a lot of exciting and FUN new trails. I have had some good success at DDD in the past, winning the event in 2016 and 2017, but haven't been able to make it back the last two years. The course had some new, at least to me, sections that promised to change things up and add some more entertainment. We got even more than we bargained for with blizzard conditions including falling snow, temperatures in the single digits, wind gusts over 50 miles per hour causing windchills around -20 to -30 F, sugary snow conditions with very little traction, and a crunchy ice layer on top that was too thin to carry our weight. After about 9 and 1/2 hours, over 7,500 calories and only one high speed downhill bike ejection, I rolled in for the win as the only finisher of the full-length 70 mile Triple D. Despite the tough conditions it truly was a great time and definitely a heck of a workout!
Amazing! Yeah, I’m not sure we could have gritted it out for that one. That sounds incredibly brutal. What equipment were you running?
For bike and equipment, I ran a Specialized Fatboy with HED Big Deal 85mm wide carbon wheels, 45Nrth Flowbeist 26x4.6" front tire at 4 psi, Specialized Ground Control 26x4.6" rear tire at 5 psi, SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain with 34T chainring treated with SCC Slick, 45Nrth Cobrafist pogies to keep my hands warm and have a good place to stash food for easy access, two insulated bottles filled with HOT water in a futile attempt to keep them from freezing, and about 8,000 calories of Honey Stinger waffles, energy chews, and bars, which I thought was overkill but as it turned out I needed all of it!
Wow, that’s quite a setup. It’s hard to imagine what 8,000 calories worth of waffles looks like. That must have been sticky. Speaking of sticky, what were you using on your chain prior to SCC Tech?
Prior to SCC I was using a couple different chain lubes that frustrated me for different reasons. I used Squirt but was frustrated at how often it had to be re-applied- it just didn't last long, and didn't keep things very clean across a wide range of conditions. I also used T9 Boeshield for a bit, but drivetrain cleanliness with that product was not good. I learned about SCC Slick from one of the co-founders while staying at a campground in Steamboat Springs for the Steamboat Stinger. He had samples of SCC and said that it was a new lubricant that hadn't hit the market yet but it was going to be a total game changer because it has the goldilocks blend of extremely long life and pristine drivetrain cleanliness. Of course I was skeptical at first, since every lubricant manufacturer out there will tell you that their product is the best. But with the frustrations I had with what I was currently using, I figured I had nothing to lose by giving it a try.
And you took it home and forgot about it for a while?
Nope! I tried SCC for the Steamboat Stinger the very next day, and I was truly blown away by the performance. It seemed like I could actually feel a reduction in drag on the drivetrain when pedaling, and spinning the cranks backwards confirmed what I was feeling. The chain initially shed a lot of the gunk that had built up from the other lubricant, which I wiped off for the first few rides until the chain cleaned up to a sheen it had never had since new. And as I would find out in the subsequent rides over the next days and weeks, the endurance of the product is second-to-none.
What were the conditions like?
Conditions at Steamboat were super hot and dry, with dusty trails. A few months later winter came and I got to try the other end of the spectrum conditions-wise, with a great deal of cold and wet, sloppy snow, ice and rain. Previously, this seasonal transition is where I would switch lubricants from a dry to wet lube. Despite seeing how well SCC Tech performed in the hot and dry, I could not believe how well SCC continued to perform when things turned cold and sloppy. The drivetrain cleanliness is maintained as well or better than the hot and dry conditions, and the product continues to last incredibly long between re-applications. However, the biggest thing I notice using it in the cold is how much less drivetrain drag there is compared to oil and waxed-based lubricants. The synthetic components in SCC just seem to lubricate so much better with less change in viscosity and drag than anything else I have used. After seeing how SCC performs over such a wide range of conditions, I have not ever even considered going back to any other chain lube on any of our bikes. As a mechanical engineer by trade, and someone who is very particular about things, I have not seen anything else that even comes close to minimizing the tradeoffs and maximizing the performance across all conditions the way SCC Slick does.
We’re so glad it’s been working well for you across the board. What would you say to someone who’s considering SCC Slick a try for the first time?
Try it, learn how to apply. It’s very simple, but slightly different than other lubes. After that, just sit back and watch the way it transforms your expectations about how a bicycle lubricant can and should work.
Thanks Michael for the kind words and support. We love to hear stories about our products out in the field and you have truly but ours to the test. Best of luck this season and we’ll catch up with you again soon. Here’s to warmer races ahead!
During long races it’s usually necessary to either pull over every fifty miles at a pit stop for a drivetrain wipe down and re-lube, or, hit the chain with a squirt from the water bottle to silence it temporarily. Some of the filthier races I’ve done include Dirty Kanza 200, Crusher in the Tushar, Gravel Worlds, Shenandoah 100, True Grit 100, 12 Hours of Temecula, Belgian Waffle Ride, and the Leadville 100... just to name a few. Stopping at aid stations, if they’re even available, is not only costly from a time perspective, but mentally and physically damaging as well. Try getting on and off a bike after seven hours of racing and cramps are setting in. It’s not comfortable. Also, I never had a clue what kind of chain lube the neutral support team would be using. I’ve come out of aid stations with a sparkling drivetrain, only to look down and see a greasy, black chain five minutes later. Or, I’ve had a perfectly clean chain go haywire after a creek crossing as the water and dust formed a paste on the cassette and chain.
Like most cyclists, I thought a noisy drivetrain was inevitable during endurance rides; until I discovered SCC Tech. I’ve used dozens of chain lubes over the last decade of racing and most worked well for one condition or another, but I never found anything that functioned well in every conditions until I decided. to #RideItSlick. Last season on a recommendation I gave their "drivetrain treatment" a try. I didn't notice much of a difference at first, but the more I rode the better it worked. After my first ride the chain was completely black and I was discouraged, thinking it was attracting more dirt than it was shading. I wiped it down before my next training session. After repeating this process a few times I noticed that after I finished riding, my chain was just as clean as when I’d started. Strange. I stopped cleaning my chain and would forget about it for days at a time. Later I would find out that the polarity in the formula attracts the formula to the metal, while the detergent draws out existing contaminants within the micro-crevices of the chain and pushes them to the surface where they are easily wiped away. Once the old lube and trapped dirt has been expelled, voila! Clean chain. Other chain lubes trap dirt, dust, and grit in the lubricant where they act like sandpaper by increasing friction and wearing down your chain, chainrings, and cassette.
The summers in SoCal mean dusty fire roads that can leave drivetrains crunchy within a matter of minutes, but this is not the case with SCC Slick. It wasn’t until the first weekend in June when I was halfway through Dirty Kanza 200 that I knew I’d never use another chain lube again. The previous year had been a drivetrain disaster after neutral support applications of various products didn’t hold up to dust, river crossings and cow manure. This year with SCC Slick my chain links were literally sparkling clean after mile 105. My crew tried to grab my bike and put it in the work stand. “No, please don’t” I said, but they insisted, “I really really don’t want you to touch my chain” I pleaded. Finally they conceded, thinking I'd gone mad.
By the end of the race my body was beyond destroyed. Twelve hours of hammering through every condition imaginable had wrecked me, but not my drivetrain. In the last five miles my hands were so numb I could barely mash them against the shifters, but when I did the chain jump was smooth and flawless. No crunch. No grind. No hesitation. And, while there’s many other things I’d do differently from a training, nutrition, and pacing standpoint, I finally got my chain lube dialed in.
After an impressive performance in Kansas I opted to use SCC Slick again for the Leadville 100 MTB two months later. It was a race I was familiar with having already ridden it four times. In all my years at Leadville I’d always stopped for a drivetrain wipe down at Twin Lakes on the way back from Columbine. Not this year. I didn’t need to. My chain was silent. The drivetrain crunch that always haunted me up Powerline? Gone. The paved section to the top of St. Kevin’s? Silent. It had confirmed everything I’d experienced at Kanza. But don’t take my word for it. Grab a blue bottle and put it to the three ride challenge. It’s cheapest and easiest way to reduce friction and improve your drivetrain performance in any riding environment.
Keep it Slick,
Ryan Steers
]]>Just like the components on your bike, chain lube technology has evolved over the years. If you’re like most riders you probably went to to your local bike shop a few years ago and asked what they recommend, or consulted your riding buddies for advice.
SCC Slick is patented formula that sets a new standard of chain lube technology. It is comprised of a lubricant as well as a detergent that work in conjunction to keep your drivetrain smooth, while actively cleaning your chain. This isn’t another waxed based formula. There is no messy buildup and no white residue that requires hours of scraping and scrubbing to remove. Quite simply SCC Slick is the cleanest, longest lasting, chain lube on the market. With application intervals ranging from 400-600 miles, a single bottle will early last a season.
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SCC TECH exists to create and deliver products that don’t just enhance your riding experience, but also protect your equipment and deliver the quality of product and long-term value that other companies have traded for short term gains. To that end, a motorcycle chain variant of our bicycle chain lube has been in testing for the past year. In our most grueling test to date, a team from Biltwell Inc. chose a chain lubricant and cleaner from SCC TECH to maintain and lubricate the chain of the customized Harley Sportster on which they completed the NORA Baja 1000. Throughout 1300 total miles of the worst imaginable riding conditions, dozens of spare parts, and numerous spills, the ‘Angry Frijole’ used only 1 chain — and SCC SLICK protected it the entire way.
We look forward to bringing the aerosol cleaner to market in 2019. Meantime, check out the bad ass short film from Biltwell Inc embedded above. We make a cameo at 9:17. A big congrats to Bill Bryant and the Biltwell team for finishing the race on such unique bike. Both as a company and fellow adventurers, you are an inspiration to us at SCC TECH.
Question / Issue: I wash my bike regularly (after almost every ride). Do I need to reapply SCC SLICK every time?
Answer: You shouldn’t need to reapply SCC SLICK every time, It holds up well to water and moisture. We recommend before you wash your bike take a rag to your chain and wipe of any dust and debris that my have collected on the chain. Also wipe the derailleur pulleys and chain-rings. You should notice it wipes clean without having to use degreasers, etc. Then wash the rest of your bike. After washing if your chain feels slick to the touch (by this it doesn’t have that tacky feel of dry metal) you shouldn’t have to reapply. Please keep in mind your chain doesn’t have to feel extremely slick just a light sheen means you’re good to go!
Question / Issue: “My road bike seemed to collect a lot of grime when using SCC SLICK."
Answer: If you continue to wipe your road bike chain post ride (step #7 listed of the application instructions), without re-lubing or using degreasers, you’ll start to notice within 2 to 4 rides your chain will manage to stay much cleaner and will collect much less build up from ride to ride.
Explanation: SCC SLICK is a complex formula with 4 components: lubricant, penetrant, detergent and dispersant. These components work in combination to displace and float contamination trapped in the micro-crevices of chain to the outer links as you ride, effectively SCC SLICK is able to better clean the chain the more you ride. You should notice the chain maintains its “slickness” despite the contamination on the outer links allowing you to wipe it off without using more lube or having to degreasers. Once majority of the contamination is worked out of the chain and is wiped off the cleaner it will appear from ride to ride.